Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - December 22, 2007, Winnipeg, Manitoba A12 Winnipeg free press saturday december 22, 2007 Japan retreats from Humpback whale Hunt by Eric Talmadge t Okyo ? Humpback whales Are Safe ? at least for now. Giving in to worldwide criticism Japan a government on Friday announced a whaling Fleet in the Southern Ocean for its annual Hunt will not kill the threatened species As originally planned. The Fleet will kill about 935 Minke whales a More plentiful species and 50 Fin whales. Japan dispatched its whaling Fleet last month to the Waters off Antarctica in the first major Hunt of Humpback whales since the 1960s. Com Mercial Hunts of humpbacks have been banned worldwide since 1966, and commercial whal ing Overall since 1986. The Fleet was to kill 50 humpbacks for scientific research. But the plan generated immedi ate criticism from environmental groups which oppose the Hunts and were outraged by the inclusion of humpbacks because they Are so rare. Whaling issues tend to become emotional but we Hope that the discussion will be carried out calmly on the basis of scientific evidence chief government spokesman Nobutaka Mach Imura said in announcing the halt. It was a stunning turnaround for Japan. The United states which chairs the International whaling commission recently held Sev eral rounds of talks with Japan to seek a one to two year suspension of the Humpback Hunt. We applaud Japan a decision As an act of Goodwill toward the International whaling com Mission said . Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez. But he added that Washington and Tokyo still have opposite views on research Tokyo has staunchly defended its annual kill of More than 1,000 whales As crucial for research purposes. Japan a whaling Fleet is run by a government backed research Institute and operates under an inc clause that allow the killing of whales for scientific purposes. Japan said it would halt the Humpback Hunt pending further inc discussion. Commercial Hunts of humpbacks ? which were nearly a spooned to extinction in the 20th Century ? were banned in the South Pacific in 1963, and that ban was extended worldwide in 1966. Australia meanwhile announced this week it was launching a new push to Stop Japan a annual whale Hunt including sending surveil Lance planes and a ship to gather evidence for a possible International Legal Challenge. Environmental groups also reacted with a guarded Welcome. This is Good news indeed but it must be the first step towards ending All whaling in the Southern Ocean not just one species for one season Karli Thomas who is leading a Green peace expedition to follow the whalers said in a statement from on Board the ship Esperanza. ? the associated press arrests made after 50 die in pakistani mosque blast by Riaz Khan Sherpa Pakistan ? pakistani police raided an islamic school and arrested seven students Friday hours after a Sui cide bomber killed at least 50 people inside a mosque packed with Holiday worshippers at the Home of the former Interior minister. Suspicion for the blast focused on the pro Taliban or Al Aida militants Active near the afghan Border where the attack occurred. It was the second suicide attack in eight months apparently targeting Aftab Khan Sherpa who As Interior minister was deeply involved in Pakistan a efforts to combat the Taliban and drive out Al Aida. Sherpa was praying in the mosques front Row at the time of the attack but he escaped injury. Yes i a Fine Sherpa told the associated press. President Pervez Musharraf condemned the blast and directed Security and intelligence agencies to track Down the masterminds the state run associated press of Pakistan reported. After the bombing dozens of police and intelligence agents raided an islamic school in the nearby Village of turan Zai and arrested seven students some of them afghans two police officials said. The blast deepened the sense of uncertainty in Pakistan ahead of Jan. 8 parliamentary elections which Sherpa As head of the Pakistan Peoples party Sherpa is contesting. The bombing turned a prayer service crowded with hundreds of people Cele Brating the islamic holy Day of eid Al aha into a scene of carnage. As Interior minister Sherpa oversaw one of Pakistan a civilian spy agencies police and paramilitary forces involved in operations against militants along the afghan Border. He was a longtime supporter of for Mer prime minister Binazir Bhutto a Pakistan Peoples party before defect ing and joining the government after the last parliamentary elections in 2002. ? the associated press Progress in Iraq marred by Guantanamo Washington ? in a year marked by Progress in Iraq . Defence Secretary Robert Gates acknowledged on Friday two bits of unfinished business in his first 12 months on the Job he has yet to close the Guantanamo Bay prison or find Osama bin Laden. Gates held out Hope that if Security gains hold . Troop Levels in Iraq can drop through next year. But with a nod to the increased attacks in parts of Afghanistan he did not Rule out a Small uptick in . Troops there. Canada has nearly 2,500 troops involved in the afghan Mission most of them in Kandahar province. While Gates would not put a specific number on Iraq troop Levels he agreed a consistent reduction Over the next 12 months would leave 10 brigades there ? or roughly 100,000 troops ? soon after american voters go to the polls for the 2008 presidential elections. My Hope has been that the Circum stances on the ground will continue to improve in a Way that would ? when general David Petraeus and the chiefs and Central command do their analysis in March ? allow a continuation of the draw Downs at roughly the same Pace As the first half of the year he said. Gates acknowledged he still has not found a Way to overcome Legal obstacles and shut Down the Guantanamo Bay Cuba detention facility where 285 suspected terrorists Are being held ? some for As Many As six years. ? the associated press ;